Between the Lines
by Apritello4evz
Summary: This is a prequel set in the middle of the See You Tomorrow series. The events take place between Donnie's proposal and their marriage. I won't spoil anything, so read to find out!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! This is chapter one of the prequel, which takes place between Donnie's proposal and April and Donnie's marriage. If you haven't read my other stories, this won't make sense, so if you haven't, go to my profile! The order is See You Tomorrow, A Rose is a Rose, A Spooky Night, Worthy of the Mask, and the Much Awaited Christmas Story! Enjoy!**

It was late May, a week before the Turtles and April had to return to the city. They had all agreed that they should make the most of these days, but today, April O'Neil woke up late. She woke up to the sound of birds singing, and morning sunlight shining through her window. She opened her sapphire blue eyes, ready to start the day. She sat up in bed, yawned, and stretched. Suddenly, there was a soft knock on her door. "Come in." April called sweetly. The door slowly opened, and Donatello came in and sat on the bed. April sighed. On Christmas Day, Donnie had proposed to her, so he was now her fiancé!

"Hey." he said. "Mikey made breakfast."

"I'll be down soon." April said. Donnie pulled her into a quick kiss, and shut the door. April sighed happily. After breakfast, everyone went to their rooms to get ready for a lake party. Mikey readied his water balloons and Super Soaker. April was in a dilemma. What would she wear?She stood in front of her mirror, holding up two different colored bathing suits. One was yellow, and one was white. She decided to check her suitcase again in case she had packed another one that she had missed earlier. She found one clumsily buried under her clothes, with a note. The bathing suit was violet, with ruffles. She read the note, written in scrawled handwriting. It said, _Just making sure that my little bro is happy. -R._ April smiled. _Raph always did have a protective streak for his brothers,_ she thought. She tried on the pretty one piece. She liked it, and decided to wear it. Suddenly, something hit her window with a _splash!_ April opened it and saw Mikey on the lawn, a water balloon in hand.

"April! You comin' down, girl?" Mikey asked. Suddenly, Raph came out of the house, and passed by Mikey. Mikey immediately threw his water balloon at Raph's head. The balloon hit its target. "Boo yah!" Mikey shouted, pumping his fists. "Dr. Prankenstein for the win!"

"Mikey!" Raph shouted angrily, tackling his younger brother. Mikey went down hard, and Raph glanced up at April's window. "Nice bathing suit! _Shhhh._ " he said, holding a finger to his lips, smiling. "Our secret. Go get 'em, girl." He continued noogying Mikey. April put on her sunscreen and rushed out the door into the golden summer sunshine. Donnie was being chased by a now-Raph free Mikey, who was chasing him with the Super Soaker he got for Christmas.

"Mikey, cut it out!" he shouted. "April'l be out any min-" He didn't finish his sentence, because he saw April. He was in a daze for a few seconds, until April said, "Race you to the end of the dock!"

"You're on!" he said. April took off running down the dock. It seemed like she was going to win, when Donnie grabbed her and they both went in the water. They came up, spluttering.

"Tied ya." Donnie said, breaking into a teasing smile.

"Don-ee!" April exclaimed. She playfully tried to dunk him, both laughing. Raphael watched them from afar, and sighed. _I hope I'll be happy like that someday._ he thought, smiling. The day passed by quickly. Soon, the sun was setting, and Mikey went inside to make dinner. April and Donatello walked to the end of the dock and sat on the edge, watching the sunset, the colors spreading across the evening sky like watercolors spread across a canvas. Donatello's bandana tails trailed in the soft breeze.

"Donnie?" April asked, fingering her topaz, ruby, and amethyst engagement ring. "Will we always be together?"

"Forever," Donatello replied. "I promise." He put an arm around her as they watched the colorful sky turn to indigo.

 **there are more chapters on the way! Until next update, Apritello rules, and if you liked this story, please, please review! I really need feedback on this first chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Here's chapter two o this story! Hope you guys like it, and please review!**

Chapter 2

It was the day that the Turtles and April had to leave the farmhouse, after five long months. April was sad to leave the old farmhouse, but she knew she had to get back to the city. She missed her dad, and she had to get to work on her schoolwork. She packed up her suitcase and went down to the garage to check on Donnie.

Donatello was working on the Shellraiser, getting it ready for the road. It had been a while since he had worked on it. He switched on the radio as he worked. He hummed along to the opening bars of Auburn's "Perfect Two". April came into the garage.

"It's our song!" she exclaimed. She began to sing along, in her angelic voice. _"You're the tear I cry if we ever split!"_ Donatello sighed. He loved hearing April sing! He joined in, singing, _"You can be the rain in the cloud when it's storming or you can be the sun when it shines in the mornin'!"_

 _"I don't know if I could ever be without you, cause boy you complete me."_ April sang. Donatello pulled her into an embrace, and they both laughed. Donatello switched off the radio.

"Ready to go?" Donnie asked.

"You know it!" April replied, saying the same thing Donnie had when she had asked him five months earlier. Everyone came out from the house, and piled into the Shellraiser. Everyone was ecstatic to see their Sensei again, and April her father. Raph called driving yet again, and April suggested they do Just Dance. She chose the first song, "The Way" by Ariana Grande, and she pulled Donnie onto the dance floor with her. They had a great time, and after that Leo and Mikey chose their song, "Gentleman" by Psy. Mikey sang along the whole time, but Leo stayed silent. Mikey tried his best, but got mostly "great"s and "ok"s. Leo got perfects every time. But, they were both laughing and having fun.

"Boo yah!" Mikey shouted after they were done. "All stars!" Soon, Leo switched with Raph for the wheel. Raph immediately chose "So What" by P!nk. He put all his anger behind the words, making it sound authentic. Soon, it was Donnie's turn. He chose "Kiss You" by One Direction. He danced around, singing along and being adorable in general. April giggled. _He is so cute,_ she thought. Finally, the skyline of New York City came into view, and everyone cheered. Donnie pulled April into an embrace. They were finally home! The turtles and April jumped out of the Shellraiser as soon as it pulled up in the Lair. All four turtles, even Raphael, surrounded Splinter in a group hug.

"My sons!" Splinter exclaimed. "I am so glad you are home!" This reminded April of her father. She couldn't wait to see him! After hurried goodbyes, April rushed home to see her dad. As soon as she came in the door, her father rushed over.

"April!" he cried, pulling her into an embrace. "I'm so glad you're home!"

"I missed you so much, dad!" April said. After dinner, April went to bed. She was so glad to be home.

Donatello was glad to be home, sleeping in his own bed. He had missed his father, his lab, and his inventions. Now he wondered how April was doing. _I'll go see her tomorrow night,_ he thought as sleep took him. _Maybe I'll make a date of it._

 **I hope you guys liked it, and please please review! Until next chapter, Apritello rules!**


	3. Chapter 3

**hey guys! Here is chapter three! Enjoy! Please review this!**

April woke up, stretching. Her sapphire eyes took in the familiar sights of her room, which she hadn't seen in five long months. The birds were singing outside her window, and gold sunlight shone through it. She got ready and went out, listening to the sounds of the city waking up. Horns honking, shop doors tinkling, tires screeching, T-Phone ringing. Wait, T-Phone ringing?! April picked up. It was a text from Donnie.

 _Did u get home OK? Sorry I didn't ask last night, fell asleep.'^_^_

 _Yeah,_ she texted back, _fine. Dad was so happy 2 see me! :D._ She immediately got a text back.

 _Just checking. Whoops, gtg. Sparring session 2day. Paired with Raph :(_

April sighed. She would miss the country, with no training sessions with Splinter... Speaking of training sessions, she had one tomorrow! Maybe she could pair up with Donnie!

"All right, Donnie." Raph said as he readied himself for the sparring match. "Drop the staff, and nobody gets hurt."

"Um," Donatello said. "Last time I dropped the staff, you hurt me."

"Hajime!" Splinter called. Raph threw himself at Donatello. Donatello dodged, but Raph grabbed his staff and snapped it in half over his knee.

"Should've dropped the staff?" Donatello asked nervously, bracing himself for the pain that was about to come.

"Should've dropped the staff." Raph replied, menacingly calm. He then beat Donatello's shell with the broken pieces of his staff.

"Okay! Okay! I'm down!" Donatello said, trying to get Raph off of him.

"Yamei!" Splinter called with annoyance.

"All right! I won!" Raph said.

"Raphael," Splinter said, "training is not about winning or losing, it is about the learning experience."

"Yeah, but I won, and he lost," Raph said, putting his hands behind his head confidently. Splinter immediately pinched a sensitive spot on his neck. "But," Raph said, in pain. "What's important is that we all did our best! Good job everyone!" Splinter released him, and chuckled. Donatello chuckled as well, in his head so he wouldn't invoke the wrath of Raph. The day went by quickly. Donatello busied himself with typical chores, tuning up the Shellraiser, checking Metalhead to make sure his AI wouldn't go haywire again (Last time that had happened, they had gotten locked in the lab, and had spent the night finding Metalhead in the city. Long story.), and working on a few unimportant projects. He resisted the urge to call April. He had texted her already, and he didn't want to annoy her. The day flew by, and Mikey came into the lab.

"Don't touch anything." Donatello said, used to Mikey's slip ups. Suddenly, one of the deactivated Kraang Mousers came to life, and started to chase Mikey, screeching. Mikey screamed, running around the lab in a panic. Donatello, used to this, calmly tackled the. Mouser and pressed its deactivation switch. Mikey sighed with relief.

"D, I came in here to tell you that it's time for patrol." Mikey said, still recovering from the Mouser attack.

"Already?" Donatello asked.

"Yeah, dude!" Mikey replied. "It's 8:30!"

"Well, I was kinda planning on taking April out tonight." Donatello said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't worry, dude." Mikey said, winking at his older brother. "I'll cover for ya."

"Wow," Donatello said. "Thanks, Mikey!"

"No problem, D." Mikey said. "Go get her!" Donatello raced out the garage entrance, eager to see April.

April sprawled out on her bed, tessen lying next to her. She had had a busy day finally getting down to doing the homework that she had missed. Suddenly, she jumped at a sudden tapping at her window. She looked out to see Donnie at the window! She quickly opened it, letting him into her room.

"Hey Donnie," she said. "What's up?"

"Hi April," he said, nervously tapping his pointer fingers together. "I'm sorry to drop in on you, but I was wondering if you wanted to go to the park with me?"

"Sure Donnie. I'd love to!" April said. She grabbed her tessen, and they both leaped out the window. "It's a date."

 **That was chapter three! Again, please review! And just so yall know, my school starts tomorrow, so future updates may b delayed! Anywho, until next time, Apritello rules!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I'm in a rush, so enjoy the first chapter!**

Donatello and April soon arrived at the small park, tucked into an alley. A radio began to play in a window above them. It was playing R. City's "Locked Away ". Donatello noticed and said, "I love this song!" He began to sing along.

" _If I got locked away, and we lost it all today, tell me honestly, would you still love me the same?"_

"Of course, Donnie!" April replied. The song went on, and they danced around, singing along. Finally, it came to this part: _"Tell me baby would you die for me? Tell me would you cry for me? Tell me would you stick around?"_

"Always, Donnie!" April replied, smiling.

"Good." Donnie replied. The next song came on the radio. It was Taylor Swift's "Stay Stay Stay"

" _Stay, stay, stay. I've been loving you for quite some time, time, time. You think it's funny when I'm mad, mad, mad. But I think it's best if we both stay."_ April sang.

 _Before you I'd always dates self indulgent takers, who took all of their problems out on me. But you carry my groceries and now I'm always laughing. And I love you because you've given me no choice but..._ April sang along, dancing around the park. Soon, it was near the end of the song.

" _You took the time to memorize me: my fears, my hopes, and dreams... I'd like to hang out with you my whole life...Stay."_ April sang. She pulled Donnie into a hug, smiling. It was getting late, so Donatello suggested they go home. He walked her home. He soon made his own way home, and tried to sleep. Suddenly, his T-Phone began to ring. It was April! He picked up immediately.

"Donnie! Thank goodness!"

"What is it, April?"

"Karai...tried to kidnap me, being chased by Foot through downtown, need help! We seem to be heading toward the Empire State Building-" she screamed, and the call ended. Donatello ran out of his room and raced to the surface.

Donatello lept across rooftops towards the Empire State Building, the city lights glimmering like tiny stars below him. He got to the middle of the building, and started to climb. Soon, he reached the top. An evil laugh echoed across the rooftop. It was the Shredder, with April! April was gagged, and held by a robotic Foot soldier. Suddenly, the Shredder spoke.

"I thought that this girl would attract all four Turtles for me to kill, but one is easy enough. Karai, go!" Karai lept forward and started to battle Donatello. He dodged a kick to the face and swept kicked Karai off her feet. As he moved in to knock her out, she whispered, "I'm on your side, but I cannot help you here. Trust me." Donatello was skeptical, but he had no choice. He pretended to knock Karai out. The Shredder shouted with anger.

"I will deal with you myself!" he shouted, his blind eye gleaming evilly. His claws came out, and he began to fight Donatello. He got Donatello with a swipe to the leg, reopening the wound April gave him in their spar. He tried to get a strike in, but the Shredder was just too fast. The Shredder got slashes in everywhere. Soon, Donatello was covered with wide cuts, limping. April tried to scream through her gag. The Shredder paused. "You have no use for this girl, so we'll have to _let her go._ " he said, kicking April off the building.

"No!" Donatello screamed. He dove off the building. He soon was falling alongside April. _I may not survive this, but I'll make sure you do._ he thought. He wrapped himself around April so that his shell would take most of the impact. The ground was still far, far below them. In the silence of falling, he could hear his heartbeat, _ba-bum._ Memories flashed through his mind as he fell.

Meeting April for the first time.

 _Ba-bum._

Proposing to April.

Ba-bum.

Ice skating with April on a frozen lake.

 _Ba-bum._

Putting April in bed on Valentines Day, and leaving his present behind.

 _Ba-bum_.

Racing April to the end of the dock, and knocking them both in, laughing.

 _Ba-bum_.

Dancing in the Shellraiser with April and his brothers.

 _Ba-bum_.

Dancing at the Halloween Dance with April under the harvest moon.

 _Ba-bum_.

Listening to April sing Silent Night.

 _Ba-bum_.

Seeing April's face when he showed her his birthday setup for her.

 _Ba-bum_.

Splinter separating them.

 _Ba-bum_.

Confiding to Raph about his feelings for April.

 _Ba-bum_.

Seeing April for the first time in two years, wrapping her in a warm, strong embrace.

 _Ba-bum_.

His first kiss, dancing to Auburn's "Perfect Two".

 _Ba-bum_. He looked up, and the ground was drawing close.

"I love you." he whispered into April's ear. Then it all went black.

 **I literally bawled my eyes out writing that! Please review and tell me what you think! And until next update, Apritello rules!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Sorry for the cliff hanger! Hahaha, not really. Enjoy the chapter!**

April came to on top of Donnie. She groaned, and sat up. Miraculously, she was unscathed. She had lost consciousness the moment Shredder had kicked her off the building.

"Donnie, are you okay?" she asked. There was no response, not even movement. She stood up, concerned. Donnie's olive green body lay limp on the sidewalk, shell down. Then April saw the blood. Donnie's shell was cracked horribly. His mahogany eyes were closed. "Oh, no." she said, staring at the quickly growing pool of crimson blood, staining Donnie's violet bandanna tails. "No, no. Donnie! _Donnie!_ " she shouted, shaking him. He didn't wake, and April began to sob. She picked up her T-Phone and called Leo. He picked up immediately.

"Hey April! What's up?" He could hear her sobbing over the line. "What's wrong?" He listened intently to the whole story.

"Donnie saved me and now he's... Just come! I don't even know if he's alive!" Leo recoiled with shock.

"We're on our way."

"Hurry!"

Soon, Donnie's brothers were there, and saw Donatello's horrible state.

"We need to get him home. Now!" Leo said. They rushed Donatello to the lair, and put him in his bed. A look of horror crossed Splinter's face when he saw Donatello.

"Leonardo, we must use the Healing Hand. Donatello may survive if we hurry!" They both began to chant, and a glowing aura surrounded both of them. Donatello's shell healed instantly, but Donatello's eyes stayed closed. "We need to give him some time." Splinter said. "But he may never wake. Only time can tell. I am sorry, April." The others left the room, giving April privacy. She sobbed, putting her face against Donnie's plastron.

"You said we'd always be together." she whispered through her tears. "You _promised._ " Now, she just sobbed harder, as memories flashed through her head of all the good times they had had together. Looking into Donnie's rich mahogany eyes for the first time, him staring so intently at her that he crashed into a wall and fell butt first into sewage, her first kiss, listening to Donnie's strong heartbeat as she fell asleep in his arms on Valentine's Day. She listened to the others. She heard Mikey sobbing, Raph screaming with anger and grief, and Leo hugging them both close, crying silently as his younger brothers sobbed.

 **1 month later**

 _Hey, this is Raph. Yeah, I know I'm writing this. Mikey, if you're reading this, I will pummel you into the ground. Donnie, if you're reading this, I'm glad you're awake, but still, don't read this._ Or else. _Leo, fine. You already know all my secrets anyway._

 _So, it's the one month anniversary of Donnie getting knocked off the Empire State Building. It's not really much of an anniversary. We're not happy about it. It's just been one month since, that's all. April watches over Donnie as much as she can, but not 24/7, as she has to go to school and sleep and all. We all miss Donnie. Even me. But April most of all. So-_ Raph stopped writing when he heard a shriek come from Donnie's room. It was April!

April watched over Donnie as usual. She cried silently, whispering the words to Donnie's favorite song, "Hold Each Other" by A Great Big World. She recalled what he had said on why he liked it. _"The people in the song are just like us." Donnie said. "In love. I respect that."_ She began to sing again, modifying the lyrics. " _Something happened when you held me. You kept my heart from getting broken. When the days got short and the nights got a little frozen, we held each other..."_ She began to cry again. Suddenly, a whispered voice finished the lyric. " _We hold each other."_ Donnie stirred, opening his eyes slowly.

"A-April?" Donnie asked hoarsely, his eyes slits. April shrieked. She threw herself into his arms. He hugged her weakly with one arm.

"Sorry Donnie. Yes, I'm here." she said, her voice shaky. Suddenly, the others burst in, having heard April's shriek.

"What's happened?" Leo started, then he saw Donnie awake.

"Ouch," Donnie said. "Everything hurts. Especially my leg. How long have I been out?"

"A month!" Leo exclaimed. "We were all so worried. April the most." At this, April blushed profusely. Donnie smiled. He was quickly becoming his old self. April splinted Donnie's leg, explaining that it would be better in a couple months, because it was broken. Everyone was happy to have Donnie back, but April worried. Would he ever be the same again?


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Just letting you know, these next two chapters are kinda out of order with the storyline. In this chapter, it takes place the same night Leo and Master Splinter use the healing hand on Donatello. Enjoy!**

Leonardo held his two brothers in a strong hug. He cried silently as his brothers sobbed. His little brother might not survive.

"To deal with grief, one must mourn each in their own way." Splinter said. Leonardo took this advice, and that night, he snuck out to have some time alone. He lept from roof to roof, balancing on wires, doing backflips. Soon, he had almost forgotten about Donnie, which made him feel guilty. How could he forget his brother? He stopped on a building with a large, flat rooftop with a billboard. Suddenly, a figure came out from behind the billboard, and stepped into the light, revealing black hair with a blonde back. It was Karai! She removed her face mask.

"Ready to fight?" she asked menacingly. Leo sighed. He wasn't in the mood to fight. "Um, hello? Worst enemy, right here!" Karai said, sarcastically pointing at herself, annoyed. Leonardo paid no attention to her, and sat on the edge of the building, looking down at the concrete roof between his feet. Suddenly, Karai's face softened. "I was there, you know." Leo looked up with surprise. "I saw everything," Karai continued, jumping nimbly off the steel railing of the billboard and walking over to Leo. "I battled your brother. He was a good fighter, by the way. I promised I would help him, but I went back on my word. I was going to help him, but my father acted first. He kicked the girl off the building, and your brother jumped off after her, the greatest feat of courage I have ever seen. I would have helped later, but how could I help him if he jumped off a building?" She sat on the building beside Leo. "Everything I touch, everything that I try to help...just turns to smoke and slips through my fingers." She sighed, looking away. Leo, afraid she was about to leave, gently took her hand. Karai looked up with surprise.

"But why would you want to help my brother? We are sworn enemies, you know." Leo asked. Karai hesitated.

"Because...I wanted to prove to you that I could be good. Okay? There, I said it." she said, looking away.

"Why would you want to do that?" Leo asked, confused, his cool, lapis eyes searching for an answer in her amber ones.

"Because I...I..." she stammered, trying to get her answer out. Leo was surprised. He had never seen Karai like this before. She always knew what to say, she was ever-confident. Now, she seemed almost vulnerable. "I l-" she started but was cut off by Raph erupting onto the roof. She gently but quickly slipped her hand out of Leo's, then threw a smoke bomb and disappeared.

"Leo! How many times have I told you?" Raph asked, annoyed. "Holding hands with the Foot is uncool! Especially _now_ , of all times!" he finished, a tear shimmering in the corner of his eye.

"She was about to tell me something important!" Leo retorted, blushing furiously.

"And that was?" Raph asked, a slight waver in his voice.

"Why she promised Donnie she would help him!" Leo yelled. Raph was shocked into silence, both by Leo's outburst, and the fact that Karai had promised to help Donnie. They walked home in silence, Leo because of his shame, and Raph because of shock and sadness. When Leo went to his room, he got in bed and stared at the ceiling. He didn't know _what_ he felt about Karai. His head said to hate her, but his heart was another story. He went to sleep, still pondering.

 **I know its short, but I promise the next one will be longer! Please review as soon as you read, and until next time, Apritello rules!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! This chapter is sort of weird. Its Donnie's dream while hes unconscious. Im sorry for putting these chapters out of order, but I was "In the moment"! I would really appreciate some reviews! This goes out to silverstar112: I hope you enjoyed my series. PM me what you think, and plz, if u can, review each chapter w/ feedback! Enjoy the chapter, everybody!**

Donatello found himself floating in space. "Where am I?" he asked himself. Suddenly, he was sucked into a memory. He found himself next to the swing set at the park, then he realized when he was. It was the day he took that photo of April on the swings. **(If you have no clue what I'm talking about, you need to read my first story)** He found himself walking April to the manhole cover, but she stopped under the lamppost, next to the 6th Street sign. They stood within the circle of light, smiling at each other. Suddenly, April stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, Donnie." she said. "Gotta go, bye!" she rushed off toward her home. Donatello was too stunned to say a word. Then, he was sucked into another memory. This time, he was spit out into his room in the "new lair", the place they had moved to when they had had to go deeper into the sewers. He was sitting on his bed, staring at the picture of April. Suddenly, there was a soft knock at the door. Leo came in, holding a strange package.

"Hey, Don. I thought you could use this for the wires." he said, pulling off the tarp. It was an undamaged guitar.

"Thanks, Leo." Donatello said. He looked at the instrument, a small smile on his face. "It will come in handy."

Raphael sat at Donatello's bedside. April had had to leave for the day. He reflected on Donatello. One memory stuck out from the rest. He thought about it.

 _Raph heard a strange noise coming from Donnie's room. It sounded like...strumming? He went to Donnie's door, and came inside. He found Donnie sitting on his bed, strumming a guitar._

 _"Hey, Raph," Donnie said. "Leo found this for me. I'm learning to play." Raph was surprised. He couldn't think of a single insult. Later, he heard...singing?! and scratching of a pencil on paper. This time, he didn't go in. He was afraid to find out._

Donatello found himself writing a song for April. He remembered this well.

" _We keep this love in a photograph...we keep these memories for ourselves. Where hearts are never broken, and time's forever frozen and still."_ That's good!" he wrote it down. He missed April terribly, but he hoped to see her again, someday. Finally, he was sucked into yet another memory. It was his and April's first anniversary. His brothers and April had just surprised him with a party. As Mikey had always said afterward, his face was priceless. April had given him a gift of-surprise! A sai attachment for his staff. He had given her a kiss as a thank you.

"Um, I have a gift for you, too." Donatello said, nervously rubbing his hands together. "I'll be right back." he rushed to his room and got his guitar.

"I didn't know you played!" April exclaimed.

"I learned while we were apart." Donatello explained. "I wrote this song for you, too. Well, us, really," he said, sitting down on the couch. "I didn't know if I'd ever see you again. I hope you like it." He began to sing the words to his song, memorized from the two years he spent alone singing and writing it.

 _"Loving can hurt, loving can hurt sometimes  
But it's the only thing that I know  
When it gets hard, you know it can get hard sometimes  
It's the only thing that makes us feel alive._

 _We keep this love in a photograph  
We made these memories for ourselves  
Where our eyes are never closing  
Our hearts were never broken  
And time's forever frozen and still._

 _So you can keep me  
Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans  
Holding me close until our eyes meet  
You won't ever be alone, wait for me to come home..._

 _We keep this love in a photograph  
We made these memories for ourselves  
Where our eyes are never closing  
Our hearts were never broken  
And time's forever frozen and still..._

 _So you can keep me  
Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans  
Holding me close until our eyes meet  
You won't ever be alone  
And if you hurt me  
That's okay baby, only words bleed  
Inside these pages you just hold me  
And I won't ever let you go  
Wait for me to come home_

 _Wait for me to come home..._

 _When I'm away, I will remember how you kissed me  
Under the lamppost back on Sixth street  
Hearing you whisper through the phone  
Wait for me to come home." _**(BTW this song is obviously not mine it is Photograph by Ed Sheerman if it wasn't obvious)**

"Oh Donnie! I love it!" April said, throwing her arms around him, and kissing him.

"I based it off the picture I gave you." Donnie said, embracing April once again. "And I meant every word." Suddenly, he was sucked back out of the memory, to the black background once again. A doorway of light opened in space, and Renet stepped out. **(If you don't know who Renet is, see Turtles in Time. P.S new ship: Renangelo!)**

"Hello, Donatello." Renet said.

"Renet?! What are you doing here?" Donatello asked.

"The scepter sensed a great trouble in your time and took me there. Mikey told me everything. You are on the brink of death. Your body is about to give up. I wanted to give you memories that would help you hold on."

"But I feel fine."

"You are in a dream right now, not your real body. April grieves you everyday. Right now, she is singing "Hold Each Other"." Suddenly, Donatello's ears began to work. He heard April singing sadly.

 _"When the days got short and the nights got a little bit frozen, we held each other..."_

"They miss you, Donatello." Renet said, shaking her head sadly. "Look at the future you might have with April." she waved the scepter, and a new scene played in Donatello's mind. He was in the dojo, watching two human children spar, a boy and a girl. The boy had red hair like April's and had his rich mahogany eyes, and fought with a tessen, and the girl had short black hair and had April's sapphire eyes, and fought with a bō staff like his. She smiled, showing gap teeth just like his. "Your children." Renet said, smiling fondly at them. Donatello noticed that the girl used his fighting style. "She takes after you. She has a love of science and inventing. This future will not be possible if you die."

"Then I want to live."

"Your wish is my command." Renet waved the scepter, which began to glow. Donatello began to regain consciousness.

 _"...we hold each other."_


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! Sorry for the delay! But here's the chapter, and enjoy!**

April worried for Donatello. It had been a day since he had woken up, and he was still too weak to walk. She knew he was strong, and she chided herself for worrying so much. But still. She sat at Donatello's bedside. He was sleeping, regaining his strength. She remembered a time when she had been immobilized with fear, and Donatello had never given up on her.

 _The thunder rolled, and lightning flashed above the sewers. April had been happy that her dad had let her sleep over "at a friend's" but now, she wasn't so sure. The March rain poured above her. The thunder had woken her from a restless sleep. "That's okay." she told herself. "I was having a nightmare anyway." Suddenly, an extra large clap of thunder scared her out of bed, and she ran. She expected to be navigating the sewers, but somehow she ended up in front of Donatello's door. "What am I doing here?" she thought. "Donnie's probably asleep anyw-" Suddenly, the door opened, and a wide-awake Donnie came out. He had probably been up all night, working on some project. "April?" he asked. "Are you all right?" He noticed the scared look in her eyes and put an arm around her, and guided her into his room._

 _"No, Donnie. I'm not." April said, sitting down on the bed, crossing her arms and looking between her feet. "It's just..."_

 _"You're not used to sleeping down here?" Donatello finished. "It was hard for me too, the first few months down here." He sat down next to her. She smiled, and he blushed. "You can sleep in my bed, if you want."_

 _"Thanks, Donnie." April said. They both got into bed, and Donatello switched off the lamp and put an arm around her. Soon, he was breathing evenly. April sighed. Here she was, lying in bed, in the sewers, with her boyfriend lying next to her._ Lying next to her, _she realized, blushing hotly._ **No, this is NOT a reference to sex. This is just a friend comforting another friend.** _April sighed again, and drifted into a peaceful sleep. As long as Donnie was with her, she could brave through anything._

April smiled at the memory. Donatello stirred, smiling in his sleep. Suddenly, another memory popped into her head. She remembered waking up on the day Donnie came back, her sixteenth birthday.

 _April woke up, yawned, and stretched. Then, she remembered what day it was. She took out the box that hid her picture of Donnie. She dusted it off. A single tear ran down her cheek. She sighed. Was Donnie ever going to come back? She turned on the radio. A Great Big World's "Say Something" was playing on the radio. April, still staring at the picture, sang along sadly. "Say something, I'm giving up on you  
I'll be the one if you want me to  
Anywhere I would've followed you  
Say something, I'm giving up on you." she paused suddenly. "Donnie wouldn't want me to give up on him," she said to herself, smiling sadly. "he would've wanted me to celebrate being friends with him." she changed the radio channel. Rachel Platten's "Fight Song" was on. April sang along, growing steadily happier. "It's been two years, but there's a fire burning in my bones. But I still believe, yeah I still believe." She jumped up and began to dance around the room. "and all those things I didn't say, are wrecking balls inside my brain. I will scream them loud tonight. Can you hear my voice? This is my fight song, take back my life song. Prove that I'm alright sooong! My power's turned on-" she paused, and the bracelet she always wore vibrated, and played a recording of a voice she thought she'd never hear again. "April, if you're hearing this, then my transmission finally got through. Meet me in the garden room tonight. I miss you so much." April broke down in tears. Her best friend had come back for her!_

April laughed, remembering how ridiculous she had looked dancing around the room. She was glad that Donnie was finally awake, but when was he going to wake up again. _Stop that,_ she chided herself. _He's going to be fine. Right?_

 **One week time jump**

Donatello was learning to walk with a crutch. April stood by, watching. He took a step, then tripped trying to take another. April went forward and got under his shoulders just in time to keep from hitting the floor.

"Whoa there, tiger." she joked, trying to keep his spirits up. "Not so fast." She smiled up at him, blushing that she was holding up the much taller turtle. Donatello smiled back.

"I'll get the hang of it." They both laughed. Over the next month, Donatello'm got better at walking with the crutch, but he couldn't train. It hurt way too much to put his weight on his foot. **Remind you of a certain blue bandanna-ed turtle for a while?** Soon, it was close to the Fourth of July. Donatello still couldn't train, but he had spent his time working on a special project. Fireworks! April came into the lab on the Fourth. Donatello was putting the finishing touches on the last one. He had just tried to train again, failing miserably. He got ready to show the others the fireworks. He confided to April, pacing around the lab, a difficult task with a crutch.

"Oh, April, I just-Ah!" He accidentally put weight on his broken leg. April helped him to the small cot in the corner. "Stupid leg," he said, rubbing it. "I'm never going to get better. I ought to leave. I'm just a burden."

"Oh Donnie," April said, sitting down next to him. "You're not a burden. You're my best friend. Let's go show the others the fireworks."

 **Left you guys hanging, didn't I? ;) Anyway, I wanted to ask: Would you guys want me to publish a Leorai story based on chapter 6? Review or PM me with your opinions! And until next update, Apritello rules!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! I know its sad, but this is the second to last chapter! But don't worry! I am publishing the Leorai based on chapter 6 really soon (I hope; high school sucks!). Enjoy the chapter!**

They showed the others, who became wildly excited. They decided to sneak the new fireworks into the NYC annual 4th of July fireworks display. Raph, Mikey, and Leo all took fireworks and rushed off to the bridge. They soon returned empty handed.

"This is gonna be epic!" Mikey said excitedly. They all snuck off to the roof of a building. But Donnie and April had a different idea. Wearing his human disguise, Donnie and April made their way to the other end of the harbor from the bridge to watch the fireworks. They hung their feet over the side. The first firework went off, a golden comet against the night sky, then fizzled out. April thought it was over, but then there was an explosion of gold and purple. April smiled. This was obviously one of Donnie's. Suddenly, a song began to play. April recognized it as Katy Perry's "Firework". April sang along.

 _"You don't have to feel, like a waste of space. You're original,"_ she started, pointing at Donnie's firework, smiling. " _You cannot be replaced!"_

 _"If you only knew what the future holds. After a hurricane,"_ she sang, pointing at Donnie's crutch. _"comes a rainbow!"_ April smiled.

 _"Maybe the reason why all the doors are closed  
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road  
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow  
And when it's time, you'll know_

 _You just gotta ignite the light  
And let it shine  
Just own the night  
Like the Fourth of July."_ she sang, putting an arm around Donnie and moving the other in an arc away from her body. " _'Cause baby you're a firework! C'mon let your colors burst! Make 'em go oh, oh, oh! As you shoot across the sky-y-y!"_ As she sang, fireworks of all colors rocketed across the sky like beautiful shooting stars, flooding the indigo sky with all the colors of the rainbow. The song ended, and April cupped Donnie's chin in her hand and brought his face around to face her. "Donnie, I love you," she said blinking back tears. "And I'll still love you if you leave. Whatever your choice, I'll still love you!" She threw her arms around him, pushing her face into his plastron, sobbing, tears pouring down her cheeks, her beautiful sapphire eyes brimming over, soaking his bandanna tails. Donnie held her, his arms tightening protectively around her, curling one of her saffron yellow bandanna tails around his finger. He stroked her hair comfortingly.

"Oh, April," he said, gently shifting himself so that she was facing him. "I could never, ever bring myself to leave you. Ever. Because I love you more than anything in the world." A single tear rolled out of each rich mahogany eye, and he pulled her close quickly, kissing her passionately. April folded into the kiss, smiling through her tears. They held each other under the colorful sky, until they fell asleep in each other's arms. Leo, Raph, and Mikey found them, and brought them home.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! This nis the very last chapter in this series! I know it's sad, but I'm publishing the first chapter of my Leorai story really really soon! And my friend YellowOnix is doing a spinoff with Azura and Zalim! Be sure to check that out! Anyway, enjoy the last chapter!**

"And that is the story of how your dad nearly got himself killed saving me." April finished. Zalim and Azura were sitting up in their beds in their single bedroom in the sewers, hanging on every word. On Azura's side of the room, it was clean and tidy, with racks of test tubes full of dangerous chemicals sitting on her desk, neatly organized and labeled. Her microscope and slides of Ooze mutant cells were sitting on the corner of the desk, as were blueprints for what looked like a mini Shellraiser. In white lightly dotted lines, there were shapes that looked like-wings?! In small letters, Azura had written, _Flight?_ Zalim's side of the room was a different story. He had inherited Raph's likes and organizing skills. A thin layer of trampled comic books was on the floor, and posters of heavy metal bands covered the walls. Donatello was sitting on Azura's bed. Every time there had been a scary part in the story, Azura had thrown her arms around his neck. When he had told the part about saving April, she had thrown her arms around him, pushed her face into his plastron, and cried. April found that touching. Donnie didn't like playing favorites, but she could tell that he liked Azura an eensie bit more. He trained her every day with the bo staff, and every time she heard a moderate explosion from the lab, it was usually Azura and Donnie. She smiled at the thought. "Goodnight." April said, kissing each twin on the forehead. Donnie held Azura a bit longer, murmuring a lullaby into her ear, something about cherry blossom petals blowing in the wind, from what April could pick out from the Japanese. Donnie tucked Azura into bed, and kissed her gently on the cheek, and left, using both legs to walk away. His leg had made a miraculous recovery after the Fourth of July. They had had their perfect wedding. April's father had been shocked at first, but he had readily accepted Donnie and his family. "They aren't the weirdest things I've seen in New York." he'd said, and they'd all laughed. Azura smiled in her sleep. Zalim did as well. April met Donnie outside. Suddenly, he pulled her into an embrace.

"I can't believe our friendship turned into this." he said, smiling. April smiled too. Now their story had a second generation. April kissed Donnie on the lips. He pulled his arms around her protectively, grasping her tightly.

"I love you." April whispered into his ear.

"I love you too, my sweet chinchilla."

April sat down on the couch. "What if we never had met?" Donnie sat down next to her, and pulled her into a warm, strong embrace. April put her head on his shoulder, smiling.

"Then I would never had been there, always taking care of you." April thought back to a time when all she had needed was some company.

 _"A-achoo!" 17-year-old April sneezed. She had a cold. She had had to stay home from school with a slight fever, but it had gone down. She picked up her T-Phone and texted Donnie._

 _ **April: hey Donnie.**_ _She immediately got a text back._

 _ **Donnie Boy: hey April. What's up?**_

 _ **April: I'm sick. :( bleah. Could use some company.**_

 _ **Donnie: I'll be right there.**_

 _Seven minutes later, there was a light tapping at her window. April bundled up against the cold and let Donnie in. He sat on her bed. April sat next to him, and he put an arm around her._

 _"I brought you some medicine. Fresh fruit from the garden." He opened his satchel and took out an orange. "According to scientific study, citrus fruit can help fight colds." April smiled, and took the orange. They split it between them. The fresh citrus smell reminded her of all the summer days spent in the garden. They spent a while in the silence and comfort of each other's embrace. Suddenly, April pulled away and kissed Donnie on the lips._

 _"What was that for?" Donnie asked, surprised._

 _"For getting you sick, silly." April said, giggling._

April smiled at the memory. Soon, it had been her taking care of Donnie. April bent forward and gently kissed Donnie on the lips. He pulled her even closer, smiling, wrapping his arms around her waist protectively. _I love Donnie,_ April thought. _And I always will. We love each other, and that will never change, not tomorrow, not ever._

"See you tomorrow?" April asked as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

"Yeah," Donnie replied. "See you tomorrow."

 **So that was the last chapter, and until the next story, Apritello rules!**


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